1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope and a method for controlling the microscope, and more particularly, to a microscope having a light source that emits illumination light for illuminating a specimen, and a microscope control method for controlling a light source that emits illumination light for illuminating a specimen.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a microscope that has a sensor of a light-reflecting type attached to a mirror tube, and turning on and off a light source that emits illumination light. When the sensor senses an observer, the microscope turns on the light source, and when the observer moves away from the sensor and cannot be sensed by the sensor, the microscope turns off the light source. In this microscope, since the light source is off while there is not an observer observing a specimen, specimens are not damaged by illumination light, and electric power is not wasted (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 07-318807, for example).
There also has been a microscope that includes electric devices such as an electric stage, an electric revolver, and a light source, an electric control device for controlling the electric devices, and an operation switch for controlling the electric devices. The electric control device includes an operation checking timer. If the electric devices are not operated over a predetermined period of time, the light source is turned off. In this microscope, since the light source is turned off, if the electric devices are not operated over the predetermined period of time, specimens are not damaged by illumination light, and electric power is not wasted (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-195274, for example).